In the medical field, devices are often implanted into the body for therapeutic purposes. Therapeutic effects of such devices tend to be realised by physical effects. For example, catheters of many types are often inserted into blood vessels or various body cavities for the purpose of allowing the entrance or exit of fluids. As examples, Foley catheters allow for drainage of urine, while intravenous catheters facilitate the injection of various therapeutic agents into the blood stream, while also enabling blood sampling. Other catheter types, such as coronary or angioplasty catheters, act by physically changing the shape of the blood vessel. Other examples of implantable medical devices include orthopedic implants, which are used to repair or replace native structural tissues, and permanent dental implants.
In addition to the therapeutic effects being realized through physical effects such as those described above, implantable medical devices may also be designed to deliver therapeutic agents at the site of implantation in order to increase the positive effects of the implant treatment.
There exists a need for alternative methods of applying coatings comprising therapeutic agents to surfaces of devices and to provide implantable devices, including medical devices, with such coatings.